CRISIS talks are imminent at Spotland after football club bosses decided to suspend rent payments.

The move has been welcomed by the other two parties involved in the stadium company - Rochdale Hornets and Rochdale MBC - after a week of turmoil following the pitch battle which sparked to life on Monday.

A statement from Rochdale AFCés board of directors said: "It was agreed unanimously at a board meeting on Monday 10 January that the football club suspend all rent payments to the stadium company."

The statement also outlines three main points of concern for the Dale chiefs.

"The board of the football club are asking for a new working framework that will cover the following: commercial terms for the use of the stadium; code of conduct for its use; resolution for any disputes, protocol, use of independent bodies etc."

Stadium company chairman, Councillor Allen Brett, said: "I understand what the directors of Rochdale AFC are saying. We urgently need a stadium company board meeting to resolve these matters.

"I aim to get the meeting sorted within the next 10 days. All three parties involved are keen to discuss the issues."

And Hornets chief executive Paul Reynolds echoed these sentiments. He said: "I agree entirely with the statement. I said on Monday I had called upon Councillor Brett to call an urgent board meeting of the stadium company because there are these issues.

"There does need to be a new framework and there does need to be a new set of agreements with which both clubs can operate. The sooner that meeting takes place the better.

"We will then get a clearer road map," he added. "Ités a welcome move forward."

Dale director Jim Fagan, whose is not on the stadium company board, said: "The football club decided it was time to review the whole relationship with the stadium company and the rugby club.

"It finally came to a head with the incident concerning the pitch earlier this week. We are looking for a relationship with the stadium company and Rochdale Hornets which is one of mutual respect.

"We decided we needed to take action which would bring things to a head and hopefully get people round the table. This isnét a veiled threat. It is an action that has been passed at a board meeting and therefore has to go through.

"Hopefully it will be a catalyst to draw a line in the sand, move forward and try to find a way of working together.

"These issues keep cropping up. The saddest things is it splits sports fans in the town."

Fagan strongly denied the move was part of a plan to oust Hornets from the Spotland set-up.

He said: "That is absolutely not the case, people have got to get away from that.

"This is about two professional clubs co-existing in one facility. We therefore need a framework people can agree to and work within."